10 Movies Based on Scientific Falsehoods

Everyone wants a pet dinosaur. Thanks to "Jurassic Park," some people think we could feasibly extract preserved dino DNA, reconstitute it in a lab and then, presto, manufacture a velociraptor or tyrannosaurus rex.

It would be an expensive endeavor, of course, but the payoff would be amazing. After all a scaly, toothy ancient reptile friend would make you the life of every party. Sadly, this fantasy is an impossibility.

The recipe for rebuilding a dinosaur is long and complicated. You'd have to start by locating undamaged dinosaur DNA. That's not happening. No matter how well it's preserved, DNA begins degrading after a few hundred years. Then you would need to sequence the DNA into a complete genome for one species, essentially recreating a puzzle made of billions of tiny pieces.

Next, you'd use the genome to make chromosomes. The chromosomes would then be transferred into an egg from a modern species that's somehow compatible enough to carry genetic material from a long-extinct species. Good luck with all of those processes.

It's been 65 million years since dinosaurs roamed the world en masse. There's a reason for that. And even our most innovative geneticists won't be resurrecting dinosaurs anytime soon.